new england's live music guide
WOONSOCKET
CHAN'S
ABOUT
Chan's Fine Oriental Dining is a hybrid restaurant and jazz/blues club at 267 Main Street in Woonsocket, combining fine Cantonese cuisine with world-class live music in an intimate 130-seat setting. The main performance space is housed in a converted bank vault. Described as "the most inconspicuous blues club in America"—a world-class jazz venue hidden inside a family Chinese restaurant in a small mill town.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Chan's hosts jazz and blues three nights per week, primarily weekends. Diners enjoy Cantonese cuisine while musicians perform in close quarters. The venue maintains an archive of over 3,000 live performances recorded on site. Walls are decorated with paintings by Commander Cody depicting jazz legends.
HISTORY
The space opened in 1905 as the New Shanghai Restaurant. Ben Chan purchased it in 1965, rebranding as Chan's in 1974. Son John Chan, inspired by Duke Ellington recordings at Providence College, convinced his father to host live music starting in 1977. The slogan "Chan's: Home of egg rolls, jazz and blues" spread via Boston radio. Past performers include Dizzy Gillespie and Duke Robillard. John Chan was inducted into the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame in 2018.
UPCOMING SHOWS
Friday
- The Winehouse Project jazz vibes
Saturday
- The Fat City Band get loud
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